Why can’t Myanmar freshwater prawns be exported aboard?

IN years past, large Myanmar freshwater prawns were exported aboard, but the current state of affairs see these prawns solely traded within the country.
It is partly to do with a lower price offered by foreign countries, paying just K16,000 per viss (1.6kg) of large freshwater prawns, compared with the domestic market whereby the same weight fetches K18,000.
However, were the numbers of prawn farmers to increase, it would allow for Myanmar prawns to be exported to foreign markets, together with serving the domestic market. as well.
But a lack of fertile prawns, resulting in fewer off-spring has meant needs of prawn farms for prawn off-spring cannot be met.
Not to mention plummeting numbers of freshwater prawn off-spring enterprises, dropping from once 27 farms to a meagre 4 that are left today. U Kyaw Shin, of the K Brother’s prawn off-spring enterprise, says the decline in prawn farmers has resulted an inability for farmers to fulfil the numbers of off-spring required. The underying reasons for the collapse of the freshwater prawn off-spring industry stem from environmental changes with which technology cannot keep up; and the inability to provide the extent of investment required.
In terms of the number by which off-spring are needed in Myanmar’s freshwater prawn farms, it’s in the millions. But, only between 100,000s and 10 million off-spring can be produced every week, falling well short of needed numbers.
However, vice president of the Myanmar Prawn Entrepreneurs Association. U Soe Htun believes that prawn off-spring exports could be made to foreign countries, as well as supplying the local market, were the current industry able to expand and enlarge.
It is with that which the government should not only invest in prawn off-spring enterprises within the country, but also directly import standardized prawn feed and medicine, the primary necessity in the step by step changes of prawn off-spring.